The Sum of Awe
Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Anyone here believe in omnipotent gods, more than one just as powerful as the Abrahamic gods? Or is omnipotence not able to be possessed in two beings at once?
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Multiple Omnipotent Gods?
- Thread starter The Sum of Awe
- Start date
Poeticus
| abhyAvartin |
A "God" that is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnibenevolent---all in one---isn't powerful; such a "God" is a logical fallacy.
I've never heard of such a concept.
Sees
Dragonslayer
I think it's just one of those characteristics or qualities that exists only as an abstract concept. People simply exaggerate/d to the fullest as a way to glorify, in my opinion - mentally creating and dreaming up stuff like omni-potence/science/benevolence/presence.
If such an impossible thing was possible, I don't know how we could say two or more entities/beings having the quality is impossible - partly because what we can reason is "out the window"
If such an impossible thing was possible, I don't know how we could say two or more entities/beings having the quality is impossible - partly because what we can reason is "out the window"
Whiterain
Get me off of this planet
I had began to discuss it myself, omnipotence, omniscience and presence. It defies modern concepts
of ration and logic, the human being is not that powerful - other than the possibility of omniscience,
in a physical sense. I believe there may be an omniscient god, yet the other powers are far to otherworldly
to bring down to my level. While in soul omnipotence may be a considerable potential even Man may have in soul.
Other than that I see the mere idea of God being manipulated to meet peoples demands, I see God
as a Commander, not a politician as well as the hierarchy of "Heaven" a bit militaristic for most peoples
taste.
I often joke, I'm going to eradicate most of Mankind after this is over.
Omniscience would be crippling in itself.
of ration and logic, the human being is not that powerful - other than the possibility of omniscience,
in a physical sense. I believe there may be an omniscient god, yet the other powers are far to otherworldly
to bring down to my level. While in soul omnipotence may be a considerable potential even Man may have in soul.
Other than that I see the mere idea of God being manipulated to meet peoples demands, I see God
as a Commander, not a politician as well as the hierarchy of "Heaven" a bit militaristic for most peoples
taste.
I often joke, I'm going to eradicate most of Mankind after this is over.
Omniscience would be crippling in itself.
Even the gods are bound by the laws of physics. Historically speaking, the word "supernatural" is somewhat of a new concept, which implies that there is something beyond The Universe ("super" meaning "above" and "natural" meaning "relating to the natural world"). The Universe is existence. To be outside The Universe is to not exist, by definition.
There were many realms for different entities, but all these entities weren't outside of nature, just in a different level of nature. It's all in existence, and the limitations reality apply to all parts.
We see this in both Italo-Hellenic worldview and also in Germanic. In both systems, it's repeated that even the chieftain god is bound by the will of a triplicity of primordial spirit-women who control space and time. In Germanic culture, this is Woden (sometimes Tiw, especially in earlier times), along with all the other entities in the cosmos, under The Norns. For Hellenic, this was Zeus, also with all gods, spirits, monsters and mortals, at the mercy of The Moirai.
There were many realms for different entities, but all these entities weren't outside of nature, just in a different level of nature. It's all in existence, and the limitations reality apply to all parts.
We see this in both Italo-Hellenic worldview and also in Germanic. In both systems, it's repeated that even the chieftain god is bound by the will of a triplicity of primordial spirit-women who control space and time. In Germanic culture, this is Woden (sometimes Tiw, especially in earlier times), along with all the other entities in the cosmos, under The Norns. For Hellenic, this was Zeus, also with all gods, spirits, monsters and mortals, at the mercy of The Moirai.
Gnostic Seeker
Spiritual
Zeus is sometimes called omnipotent, but this means he contains the most power among the Greek gods. Its not alluding to an idea like limitless power, which would be impossible, seeing as power is something even we can measure to a degree.
Sir Doom
Cooler than most of you
It sort of defies the concept to have more than one. If omnipotence is subject to any limitations at all, it isn't really omnipotence in the literal sense. Considering what a monstrous limitation another omnipotent being would be, I have to say that would pretty much eliminate it altogether. Not to mention reality would likely be in utter chaos as the two beings compete.
hemanth1298
New Member
I believe in mulitple gods. I believe in Female Gods. I believe that each God is omnipotent and equally and infinitely powerful.
Here is a concept. Take god to be the Infinite. Now infinity if divided by any number other than Infinity would be infinity. Here in the denominator are the total No of gods I believe to Exist. Then sum of the denominator would add up to Infinity making the result to 1 which means one God. Since infinity when divided into any number other than the total no of gods, the answer would be infinity only. Hence, each individual god is infinite, marking the omnipotence, omnipresence - all infinity.
I believe that these Gods do not have Conflicts with each other, because if they do, the earth would not exist
The Sum of Awe
Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
The problem with that is that infinity isn't a number, but a concept.
Astrologer
Member
I could never understand the Biblical "version" of God. My current belief in "God" is one of respect. I see "God" as the great designer, and my personal friend. The Abrahamic versions don't give me comfort. I'm not Christian, and when I look at the heavens at night, I feel that "God" or "The Gods" are distinct possibilities, and that at no time must I "lock" myself into a specific religion. My Freemason cousin explained a few things to me about his beliefs, and they fit with my beliefs. I would have to Marry a Freemason to become a member of the Eastern Star, but I am not terribly fond of rituals. My basic belief is that "God" has always existed, and that Astrology is a tool for the betterment of the individual.
Nope, not in my tradition or beliefs. If Odin or Frigga were omnipotent Balder would not have died. I don't understand what their reasoning would be for abrogating their omipotence to provide a lesson, losing their beloved son. If Thor were omnipotent he would not need to have been helped by Magni to lift Hrungnir's leg off his neck. I don't see a lesson in omnipotence there either. I'm certainly not suggesting my Gods are in any way deficient, because Gods know I love and respect Thor more than anything, but the beauty is that they are as flawed as we are. That makes them all the more accessible and not some pie-in-the-sky concepts. And yes this is probably a 16 oz. horn of mead (filled several times
) talking. And the only reason there are no spelling mistakes is because it took me an hour to keep typing this. But I mean every word. 
A "God" that is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnibenevolent---all in one---isn't powerful; such a "God" is a logical fallacy.
Unless you define omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnibenevolent in a different way, then I don't think it's a logical fallacy.
While omnipotence doesn't imply the ability to do that which is logically impossible, I'd say that two omnipotent beings entails contradictions that aren't of the form "can Jesus microwave a burrito so hot that even he can't eat it?" (Homer Simpson). Consider two omnipotent entities X & Y. X should, by virtue of being omnipotent, be capable of limiting the powers of Y. However, this implies that why is not omnipotent, for if Y were omnipotent then why would possess the power to prevent X from limiting Y's power. Additionally, this implication entails the impossibility of X being omnipotent if Y is, for if X is not able to limit Y's powers, then X isn't omnipotent.
I think that "conflict" is the wrong way to look at it. Living organisms invented "harmony" and "conflict", and classified everything based on their bias for what science calls "equilibrium". Gods predate this, for billions of years at least. Why would they subscribe to a relatively new worldview of, to put it frankly, lesser beings.
Ants don't like rain. I may like ants, for whatever reason, but just because they don't like rain, I'm not going to view it as destructive as they do. I could be a person who likes thunder, storm clouds, rainbows and falling water.
Could you clarify? I see two ways of interpreting this (and both of them could be misinterpretations). One is that the "harmony" and "conflict" phenomena came into existence when living organisms did. The other is that the concepts "harmony" and "conflict" were invented by living organisms, which necessarily means humans, a very specific "type" of living system.
This is one reason why I ask for clarification about the above. Living systems are characterized by being complex systems far from equilibrium. Life is characterized by non-equilibrium processes/properties/etc., from evolutionary mechanisms to necessary mechanisms whereby such systems can convert something (food, sunlight, etc.) into energy in order to keep it from equilibrium states. It is not much of an exaggeration to say that before life on this planet equilibrium was comparatively ubiquitous.
Perhaps because logic is far above us, and this involves logical paradoxes.
It's usually understood that omnipotence doesn't include the ability to do that which is logically impossible.
HekaMa'atRa
Member
Agreed. I define omnipotence as having all the power within the physical universe to do as they please. An all powerful God can create life, the universe, matter, and perhaps even bend the laws of nature to their will.
With that being said, there are a few Kemetic Gods whom fit that description.